Historically, the dust associated with dry-mix shotcreting caused hesitation in projects in urban or live traffic environments; however, recent innovations in low-dust materials have significantly changed planning considerations…
Shotcrete Hoses: Selection, Inspection, and Safe Installation
Hoses play a crucial role in efficient shotcrete placement for any job site. The operator and jobsite personnel are either near or in direct contact with many hoses, and as it is difficult to track hose wear using yardage figures, it’s very important to inspect every hose every time it is used. Three key considerations should be kept in mind when working with shotcrete hoses…
Shotcrete Placement for Initial Support: Climate Pledge Arena Tunnel Project
The Washington State Coliseum was an arena built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. More than half a century later, in 2019, a $1B construction program began to redevelop and expand the arena. The redeveloped building, with a new name — Climate Pledge Arena — retains the historical roof, but below the surface is another story…
Shotcrete as Final Liner — Design Considerations
The use of shotcrete placement (often called sprayed concrete) for the final permanent structural lining of underground structures and facilities continues to increase around the world. Where non-uniform shapes are required, shotcreting provides…
Shotcrete to the Rescue!
Shotcrete placement in structural projects (as an alternative to traditional cast-in-place concrete) has experienced significant growth in recent years. This trend can be attributed to…
Practical Benefits of Shotcrete on Geotechnical Projects
This article covers the advantages of using shotcrete placement for soil nail projects. In permanent soil nail structures, shotcrete offers a wide variety of architectural finishes that can be produced economically and efficiently. This is in stark contrast to…
The Secret’s Out: Your Project Could Be the Next Outstanding Shotcrete Project Winner!
Every year, the American Shotcrete Association (ASA) Outstanding Shotcrete Project Awards shine a spotlight on the most innovative construction projects in the shotcrete industry. But if you’ve ever wondered what really catches the judges’ attention…
Managing Groundwater Using Shotcrete
Managing groundwater using shotcrete placement involves integrating structural reinforcement with effective waterproofing strategies to ensure durability and prevent water ingress in underground or below-grade structures…
Lessons Learned on Spillway Shotcrete Overlay
The original Request for Bids specified that cast-in-place concrete be used, with no substitutions provided. After multiple site visits to better understand staging and access, debris removals, and placement logistics, KISC began to develop a value-engineered approach involving the use of air-entrained wet-process shotcrete to replace the cast-in-place specification…
Back-to-School – ASA Style
As summer winds down in the Northern Hemisphere, many are sending their children back to school. This prompted me to reflect on our version of “back-to-school” in our careers and businesses, like how my professional engineering license requires periodic continuing education (CE) for renewal. Some states also require…